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Slavery
—Gaius, as translated and quoted by Nic Fields For many people reading this, '''slavery' is a moral wrong and against basic human rights. However, in the ancient world (in the Chalcolithic, Bronze, and Iron Ages in particular), slavery does exist and does operate. It's part of Economics here on Earth in the past and the present, and its part of Lemurias' social and economic fabrics. It's described as a system, however I think that its a belief that people can be owned to labor without compensation for their energies except for food, clothing, and shelter. They are deprived of the right to leave, to refuse work, and to demand compensation (payment in the form of money). In our world, Slavery was known in almost every ancient civilization, and society, including Sumer, Ancient Egypt, Ancient China, the Akkadian Empire,Assyria, Ancient India, Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, the Islamic Caliphate, the Hebrew kingdoms in Palestine, and the pre-Columbian civilizations of the Americas. Such institutions included debt-slavery, punishment for crime, the enslavement of prisoners of war, child abandonment, and the birth of slave children to slaves. In Lemurias of Alexander's time, slavery is institutionally recognized by many societies. In Phaeselis, as members of a Hellenic Empire built by Alexander along with the disemination of Hellenic culture and Hellenization, slavery is an accepted institution and a way of life. Slavery in Phaeselis Chattel slavery is the more followed model in Phaeselis. It's so named because people are treated as the personal property, chattels, of an owner and are bought and sold as if commodities, is the original form of slavery. To most people of Phaeselis, slaves are a commodity. They are bought and sold because of the belief that people can own people and it's morally right. Typically, in Phaeselis, people are sold into slavery because they are a conquered people (conquered peoples are captured and sold into slavery), or are criminals, or have no where else to go (in the case of young orphans). When Alexander sacked many cities, he would take those that survived the battle and stood against him into slavery. Women and children sold into slavery would often become household slaves, sex slaves, or enter into concubinage. This was often the case of women, girls, and beautiful boys. Women and girls who were sold may look forward to be household slaves, but beautiful boys were often bought to become eromenoi (homosexual lovers). Men are sold to work in the mines, in order to extract ore to be smelted into metals, or to extract precious stones and crystals from the earth. Some of them also become personal bodyguards, to become the defenders of their masters. These slaves were to train hard, to build up their muscles and to defend their masters with their lives. Some men who are enslaved also have it lucky if they were educated. They would become pedagogues to their master's children, to pass on their education and knowledge to the children. The Roman Model Alexander greatly reformed the institution of slavery in Phaeselis. Slavery in Phaeselis played an important role in society and the economy, because besides manual labor, slaves performed many domestic services, and might be employed at highly skilled jobs and professions. Teachers, accountants, and physicians were often slaves. Greek slaves in particular might be highly educated. Unskilled slaves, or those condemned to slavery as punishment, worked on farms, in mines, and at mills. Their living conditions were brutal, and their lives short. Slaves were to be considered property under the law and had no legal personhood. Unlike the freemen, they could be subjected to corporal punishment, sexual exploitation (prostitutes were often slaves), torture, and summary execution. The testimony of a slave can not be accepted in a court of law unless the slave was tortured—a practice based on the belief that slaves in a position to be privy to their masters' affairs would be too virtuously loyal to reveal damaging evidence unless coerced. Over time, however, slaves gained increased legal protection, including the right to file complaints against their masters. Attitudes changed in part because of the influence among the educated elite of the Stoics, whose egalitarian views of humanity extended to slaves. Phaeselite slaves could hold property which, despite the fact that it belonged to their masters, they were allowed to use as if it were their own. Skilled or educated slaves were allowed to earn their own money, and might hope to save enough to buy their freedom. Such slaves were often freed by the terms of their master's will, or for services rendered. A notable example of a high-status slave was Tiro, the secretary of Cicero. Tiro was freed before his master's death, and was successful enough to retire on his own country estate, where he died at the age of 99. Rome differed from Greek city-states in allowing freed slaves to become citizens. After manumission, a male slave who had belonged to a Roman citizen enjoyed not only passive freedom from ownership, but active political freedom (libertas), including the right to vote.6 A slave who had acquired libertas was thus a libertus ("freed person," feminine liberta) in relation to his former master, who then became his patron (patronus). As a social class, freed slaves were libertini, though later writers used the terms libertus and libertinus interchangeably.7 Libertini were not entitled to hold public office or state priesthoods, nor could they achieve legitimate senatorial rank. During the early Empire, however, freedmen held key positions in the government bureaucracy, so much so that Hadrian limited their participation by law.8 Any future children of a freedman would be born free, with full rights of citizenship. Vernae (singular verna) were slaves born within a household (familia) or on a family farm or agricultural estate (villa). There was a stronger social obligation to care for vernae, whose epitaphs sometimes identify them as such, and at times they would have been the children of free males of the household.9 The general Latin word for slave was servus. Auctions and Sales New slaves were primarily acquired by wholesale dealers who followed the Roman armies. Many people who bought slaves wanted strong slaves, mostly men. Child slaves cost less than adults although other sources state their price as higher. Julius Caesar once sold the entire population of a conquered region in Gaul, no fewer than 53,000 people, to slave dealers on the spot. Within the empire, slaves were sold at public auction or sometimes in shops, or by private sale in the case of more valuable slaves. Slave dealing was overseen by the Roman fiscal officials called quaestors. Sometimes slaves stood on revolving stands, and around each slave for sale hung a type of plaque describing his or her origin, health, character, intelligence, education, and other information pertinent to purchasers. Prices varied with age and quality, with the most valuable slaves fetching prices equivalent to thousands of today's dollars. Because the Romans wanted to know exactly what they were buying, slaves were presented naked. The dealer was required to take a slave back within six months if the slave had defects that were not manifest at the sale, or make good the buyer's loss. Slaves to be sold with no guarantee were made to wear a cap at the auction. Slaves in the Alexandrian Empire Slaves can come from anywhere. Slaves can be any race in the Empire, including Dragonborn and Lizardmen. Slaves are common in the high population centers: Athens, Ephesus, Lycia, Phaeselis, Gerusa, Alexandria in Khem, Babylon, and Alexandria Eschate; including the Aryano-Hellenic Kingdoms in Aryavarta. Slaves could also come by the colonies to the West, as well as by raiding and war. Dragonborn slaves are rare, but popular due to their great stature and strength. However, they tend to be educated as well, so they are often purchased to educate children and for other services. Human slaves are the most common, with elven slaves being rarer still than the Dragonborn. Halfling slaves are sold, but most people think of them as children -- only to learn that they are adults. Orc slaves are commonly seen, but are rarely traded in Phaeselis. And the armies of Phaeselis brought back a large number of Nagaji slaves. Thrallherding Thanks to psionics and psychic powers and abilities, thrallherding has become another form of slavery. A thrallherd is a psychic that has the ability to attract people who will be his thralls and believers. The thralls and believers in the thrallherd believe utterly in the mission of the Thrallherd. They would follow him without question. EltonJ (talk) 16:52, October 7, 2013 (UTC) Category:City Guide Category:City Life Category:Residence Category:Living